Page 8 of Inception

“What?” she asked innocently. “I just want to know what brought her to Hollow. I’m sure we all do, right guys?” Her phony tone was starting to grate on my nerves.

My eyes darted around the table. I noticed Hannah stopped making eye contact with me altogether now. It looked as though she was unsure whether or not she could still be friendly with me now that Nikki was clearly on the offense.

“My father passed away. I’m living with my uncle now.”

“Don’t you have a mother?”

“Jesus, Nikki!” This time it was Taylor who called her out. “Give the girl a break.”

“It’s okay,” I assured her and then turned back to Nikki. “She left when I was two. I don’t have any memories of her. I also lost my grandparents before I was born. Both sets. Would you like me to go into my extended family as well?”

“Saw-ree,” she snipped as thoughIwere the one being the rude bitch all day. “Didn’t realize you were so touchy.”

“Sorry about your dad,” said Carly, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear and looking wholly uncomfortable.

“Thanks.”

She wasn’t the only one who was uncomfortable. I felt Nikki’s negative energy all around me, billowing in the air and suffocating me with its toxic weight. She wanted me gone—away from her, or him, or maybe all of them—and at this point in my life, I wanted nothing more than to oblige. No company was way better than herbadcompany. I just hoped my legs could get me out of there fast enough.

“So anyway, it was really nice meeting all of you,” I lied, rising from the table with my tray in hand.

“You too,” said Carly, half smiling.

“You haven’t even touched your food,” noted Taylor, the disappointment heavy in her eyes.

“I guess I wasn’t that hungry,” I told her and left out the part about how Nikki had all but pulverized my appetite. “I’m late anyway. I have to meet up with some teachers to see if I have any chance of getting caught up on all the work I missed.”

“Well hang on a sec, I’ll come with.”

“You don’t have to do that, honest. Enjoy your lunch. I’ll catch up with you later,” I said and jetted off before she had another chance to protest.

By the time the final bell rolled around, I was completely drained, dejected, and ready to get as far away from Weston Academy as I possibly could. The day had been long, the stares exasperating, and the catch-up homework demoralizing.

I crouched down at my locker, struggling to get all my new textbooks into my schoolbag, and realized fairly quickly that it wasn’t going to happen. No matter which way I worked them (vertical, sideways, horizontally stacked), the result was always the same: too many books, not enough space.

Eff my life.

I gave up and straightened out, holding the remaining textbooks cradled in my arms just in time to be on the receiving end of a bony shoulder-slam. I jerked backwards into my locker roughly, dropping all my books in the process.

“Watch where you’re going,” snapped Nikki, her indignant eyesdaringme to say something back to her. “What a total spaz!” I heard her say to Morgan as they walked away laughing.

If I had any doubt before, it was definitely officialnow: Nikki Parker hated me. I leaned my head back against my locker door and sighed. This was going to be a long semester.

Seconds later, Trace appeared in front of me. His arresting blue eyes spiking my temperature as he bent down before me and picked up my books from the ground, one by one, and then handed them back to me without saying a word.

He didn’t even wait for athank you.

I stood there, dumbfounded, with my mouth slightly unhinged, staring at his delicious broad-shouldered back as he disappeared down the hall.

“I love watching him walk away, too,” said Taylor who was now standing beside me. I hadn’t even noticed her walk up.

I blushed. “I wasn’t looking at his, I mean, I wasn’t—”

“Sure,” she laughed. “You don’t have to defend yourself around me, babe. Nikki, on the other hand...”

“Yeah. I got it,” I said knowingly, pulling my blazer out from the locker and then securing it with the assigned lock.

“So anyway,” she said, flipping her hair to the side as we started down the hall together, “I’m glad I caught you before you left. We’re going toAll Saintstonight, and you’re coming with. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

---